Richard A. Phillips

Police Officer Richard Phillips and Police Officer Milton Curtis were shot and killed after stopping a vehicle for running a red light.

Unbeknownst to the officers, the suspect had just raped a teenage girl after holding two couples at gunpoint. Both officers were shot and killed while they were writing a ticket.

On January 29th, 2003, 45 years after the murders, the 70 year old suspect was arrested at his home in Columbia, South Carolina, as the result of a new FBI fingerprint database. The fingerprints were matched to a 1956 South Carolina burglary and linked to the suspect.

The suspect was convicted of both murders on March 24th, 2003, and sentenced to life in prison. He was denied parole in 2009. He will be eligible for parole again in 2017. So he can be near his near his family, he is serving his sentence in the South Carolina Penitentiary.

Officer Phillips had served with the El Segundo Police Department for two years. He was survived by his wife and three children.

Bio

Age28

Tour2 years

Badge10

Incident Details

CauseGunfire

WeaponHandgun; .22 caliber

OffenderSentenced to life

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Most Recent Reflection

In those last moments of your life you had fired several shots at the man who killed you. One of these bullets non-fatally wounded him, and also gave him a scar for life. That scar helped those detectives catch you and your partner's killer. I didn't think you ever realized how important those last gunshots in those last moments of your life were. God bless you and rest in peace.